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Apple Crumb Ring Bundt – #BundtBakers

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This three-layer Apple Crumb Ring Bundt boasts of brandied apples, a rich sour cream cake, and a brown butter crumb topping for the ultimate accompaniment to a hot cup of coffee.

Sometimes I feel like I spend more time chasing time than living in it. I think we all feel that way, especially when the seasons are transitioning. It’s hard to believe that school is already starting up, summer is already proclaimed to be over and yes, I’ve even seen a few pumpkin spice recipes creep up into my feed.

While I am looking forward to cooler days ahead, some favorite comfort foods and spiced lattes, another part of me is also sad to bid summer adieu so soon, which in New York is already short enough. The days have come and gone too quickly for me to grab and truly enjoy the season.

Remember what Frodo said to Sam at the end of The Return of the King? “Your time may come. Do not be too sad, Sam. You cannot be always torn in two. You will have to be one and whole, for many years. You have so much to enjoy and to be, and to do.”

So, perhaps I’ll get to do all that I wanted in the fall.

It would seem that I’m not the only one getting on board the early fall train. Our lovely hostess, Wendy, from A Day in the Life on the Farm chose apples for the theme of this month’s #BundtBakers.

When I saw the big reveal for this month’s bake along, I got strong Autumn vibes and knew immediately what I wanted to make. Sitting with a cup of coffee and a slice of crumb cake is probably my idea of a perfect fall morning. Yes, cake for breakfast is an indulgence of mine that I especially enjoy when the weather gets cooler. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy this cake in the afternoon or evening as well…it’s one of those sweet treats that happens to be suitable for all occasions.

So, in the words of my beloved uncle, “Let’s get baking!”

I tend to think of this bundt as a 3-layer cake. No, it’s not like the traditional layer cake that may come to mind, but it has three layers of texture and flavor that are all very distinct and when these layers come together, they forge one harmonious dessert.

The first layer is made of thinly sliced apples that are infused with warm cinnamon and rich brandy. Some of those apples also get tossed into the cake batter, adding some depth to our cake base, which brings us to layer #2 – the sour cream cake. It’s buttery and rich but also very light thanks to some adjustments like swapping out AP flour for cake flour which ensures a more delicate texture. Then we whipped sour cream and whole milk together for a creamy addition making sure this cake wasn’t crumbly, but rather moist while retaining it’s richness. Finally, we have our third layer- the crowning glory- the brown butter crumb topping.

There are many variations to crumb cake but as a nod to my all-time favorite, the NY-Style Crumb Cake, I kept the crumbs big and the ratio even. The crumb layer is as thick as the cake layer- as it should be.

Finish it off with a generous dusting of confectioner’s sugar and there you have it, a beautiful Apple Crumb Ring.

So let me ask you this, are you sad to see summer go? Because a slice of this and a cup of coffee on a cozy fall morning is pretty hard for me to resist. Summer can pack its bags and take its humid temperatures along with it.

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Apple Crumb Ring Bundt – #BundtBakers

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★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Living the Gourmet
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 1 cake 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the apple slices:

  • 3 medium apples (honeycrisp or gala are good)- peeled, cored, and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon brandy or rum
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the brown butter crumb topping:

  • 1 cup AP flour
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons plain sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

For the sour cream cake:

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoons course sea salt
  • 1/2 cup plain sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup whole milk

Instructions

For the apple slices:

  1. In a medium bowl, toss the apple slices with the brandy, cinnamon, and vanilla. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the brown butter crumb topping:

  1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter down and let simmer over medium heat until it has browned and is bubbling. Be careful not to burn it.
  2. In a bowl, whisk flour, sugars and baking soda. Add the brown butter and mix until large crumbs form. If the mixture looks to moist, add more flour one teaspoon at a time.

For the sour cream cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bundt pan and place the brown butter crumbs at the bottom of the bundt pan. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of your mix master beat together butter, sugar, and vanilla until whipped. Add one egg in at a time, beating on low speed between each installment. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
  4. In another separate but small bowl, whisk sour cream and milk together well.
  5. Alternate between the flour and the sour cream mixture, adding each to the beaten butter and sugar batter. Mix well between each addition, making sure there are no clumps. The batter should be smooth and airy. Fold ½ cup of the brandied apples, chopped, into the cake batter.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan then top it off with the remaining apple slices. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean.
  7. Transfer to a wire rack and let the cake cool before transferring to a cake plate. Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 8-10
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Enjoy with Love!

—

BundtBakers

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

Enjoy more apple bundt recipes from these fabulous bakers:

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. Patricia Blanco Budia says

    So beautiful and so delicious!!! I agree with you. Time goes fast and it seems like we want the next season to come without realizing that we’re not enjoy the actual time. But, I love autumn. XOXO

    Reply

  6. [email protected] Dinner Mom says

    My morning cup of coffee (that I’m sipping right now) just started to taste lonely after reading just the first sentence of this AWESOME post! I’m full-on ready for Fall recipes, Tammy, and this is going to be one of my firsts. In fact, I think I’d better make this one tomorrow for the weekend. I love the “3-layer” factor here and I’m with you about sending summer packing. We don’t get the humidity here (thankfully!), but I’m done with 90+ degrees for weeks on end and so is my garden! Thanks for sharing this, great pictures and well written, too. Pinning for all to see! Have a great weekend.

    Reply

  7. Valerie says

    When it comes to crumbs the more the better! This apple crumb bundt looks terrific. I wish I could reach through the screen and try a piece right now.

    Reply

  8. Nicole says

    Such a gorgeous bundt cake! It looks so moist and tender. I do look forward to fall baking, but I’m not quite ready yet to say goodbye to summer. Though I do think that apple cake is good all year round.

    Reply

  9. Gloria says

    With apple season just around the corner, this will be the perfect dessert to make. I love bundt cakes. They are so rustic looking and don’t require hours of decorating to make them look fantastic. I would eat this for breakfast too.

    Reply

  11. Nicolas Hortense says

    I prefer summer to winter, and why would you miss summer when you can make and eat stuff like this as you said. Your photos are amazing btw, and I love all look and sound of the 3 layers fo this amazing cake. Especially the crumb that you added.

    Reply

  12. Veena Azmanov says

    Love the images on this post, Tammy. Apple will soon be in season here and I can’t wait to try this cake. Sounds so good. Saving this for later.

    Reply

  13. Noel Lizotte says

    Apples are the best fall food! I love baking in a Bundt pan – everything looks so fancy when baked that way. No matter how simple the recipe, it is elegant!

    Reply

  14. Marisa Franca says

    What a beautiful cake and I love the apple theme. Baking to me means fall, apples, and cinnamon. This is one cake that I can’t wait to try. I like the idea of the brandy or rum with the apples. My mouth is watering thinking of it!!

    Reply

  17. Celeste says

    Yum! This cake is just what I need to make it feel like fall. Here in Texas it’s still really hot. And BTW, your photos are stunning.

    Reply

  18. Carmy says

    Lemme at that slice! Actually, let me at the whole bundt! This looks amazing and I need it in my life ASAP! I can never say no to apples in baked goods!

    Reply

  19. Natalie says

    Wow this apple bundt cake looks just fantastic. I love how flavorful and juicy it looks. Since I have so much apples from my grandmas garden I will use them to make this beautiful bunt cake for upcoming weekend. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

  20. Alexis says

    Oh my goodness, so yummy! And your photography is gorgeous. I’ll have to try my hand at this bundt cake, fingers crossed it comes out as beautiful as yours.

    Reply

  21. swathi says

    This apple crumb bundt cake looks delicious and moist. I haven’t started any fall baking.Still holding on to summer peaches.

    Reply

  24. Dawn says

    I love a good bundt cake and this one sounds perfect for fall! Your pictures are gorgeous too – I wanna reach through my screen and grab a big piece!

    Reply

  30. Karyl Henry says

    Oh my goodness this looks so amazing! What a beautiful presentation, and this cake would work really well for entertaining this fall and winter. I’m saving this one for sure

    Reply

  31. Sharon says

    This apple bundt cake is giving me all the Fall foodie feels. This cake would be perfect for the upcoming holidays. Can’t wait to try this recipe out!

    Reply

  34. Julie says

    My all time favorite cake is an apple bundt cake – so I am sure this is right up my alley. Can’t wait to give this recipe a try!

    Reply

  38. Melanie says

    The bake time is way off. I have baked bundt cakes before without fruits and they always take around an hour for the same size of pan this recipe requires. Sure enough, at 35-40 min, the batter is still very runny and the cake is not baked. I think maybe an adjustment is necessary to be slightly more accurate? Say… 50-60 minutes? Mine was fully baked at 60 minutes. Also, the recipe is a bit confusing with sliced apples in the beginning and then chopped when you’re combining with the batter. Luckily, I read ahead and found they didn’t make sense so I chopped 2 apples for the batter and sliced one to top the cake before baking. The cake turned out fantastic but the recipe could definitely be improved.

    Reply

  43. videochat hot says

    Wow!! Thanks for sharing another wonderful recipe idea on apple crumb! our photographs are really beautiful! This is maybe the most beautiful apple cake I’ve ever seen.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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